8 BULLETIIsr 127, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



"As no roomy ship could ever be loaded down to lier deepest 

 draught with so light and fleecy a cargo as cotton, it was customary 

 to stow awa}^ bales in every available sheltered space to be found on 

 board, from the limber strake to the main rail, and even the mess 

 table in the cabin was often a bale of cotton. No matter how big the 

 cargo, the ship would not be down in the water to her bearings, and 

 would be top-heavy and crank in consequence ; so that it was always 

 necessary to carry from 100 to 300 tons of stone ballast for the sake 

 of stability, and even then the kettle bottoms were apt to go away 

 over on their sides whenever the wind was abeam and stay there, to 

 the discomfort of all on board. The sailor loves to see a good space 

 between the deck he treads and the water upon which he floats ; and 

 whatever beauties the owner saw in a kettle bottom that carried a 

 big freight and paid him well, Jack saw none. His preference has 

 always been for a ship that would stand up stiff under sail, and 

 some of the cotton fleet would. They were not all of the model of 

 the Saone. A good many had straight sides, with only enough of a 

 curve home to wear a graceful look and to suit the inclination of the 

 shrouds, and often had a longer bow. These were large and fast 

 carriers, and with a large freight on board they sailed well and at- 

 tained an excellent rate of speed. 



" Keference has been made to the evasion of tonnage duties. The 

 success of a ship is necessarily and chiefly due first to a rigid keeping 

 down of all her expenses and of strict economy both in and out of 

 port, and next to her being placed in charge of a good captain and 

 crew, the adoption of a model which would save taxation was a 

 natural proceeding. It must be said, however, that the burdens of 

 port charges and of taxation in its various forms never weigh hard 

 on shipping unless trade is dull, freights are low, and competition is 

 sharp. No matter how big and costly a ship, no matter what wages 

 are paid or how expensively she is run (and a ship is an expensive 

 investment, spending money right and left with a prodigality known 

 in few forms of business), she can carry every burden if trade is 

 good and freights are profitable, and spend from 20 to 45 per cent of 

 her value, as she does eA^ery year without feeling it." - 



No feature of American naval architecture is more noteworthy or 

 more historically interesting than the development of clipper sailing 

 ships. The clipper merchant vessel owes its origin to a variety of 

 causes, while its higher specialization was due to influences to be 

 referred to further on. 



Prior to the Revolution, one of the most important industries of 

 the American Colonies was shipbuilding, and the skill of the Ameri- 

 can naval architects and constructors had more than a local fame. 

 At that early date and in the years immediately following the inde- 



- Report on the Shipbuilding Industry of the United States, by Henry Hall, pp. 65-6G. 



